On Wednesday morning, Tom Brady officially retired from the NFL after a legendary 23-year career. Although he first retired on the same day in 2022, his recent social media announcement seems more permanent, leaving behind a legacy that will likely remain untouched in our lifetime.Â
Across the internet, hundreds of thousands of articles discuss every aspect of Brady’s career and personal life — from achievements, statistics, personality and diet plans. After two decades in the national spotlight, there isn’t much left to cover, so someone has to think outside the box to bring a new perspective to a career filled with many achievements.Â
Everyone knows that Tom Brady is the only player in NFL history to win seven Super Bowl titles, one more than his former team (New England Patriots) and their rival (Pittsburgh Steelers) achieved in their existence.
As remarkable as those championship numbers are, there is a unique statistic to take away from his lengthy career: only 11 other quarterbacks managed to win a Super Bowl during his time in the league.
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Legends dominated Super Bowl discussion before Tom Brady arrived
Imagine being an NFL quarterback from 1978 to 2001, going head-to-head with Hall of Famers like Terry Bradshaw, Jim Plunkett, Joe Montana, Phil Simms, Troy Aikman and John Elway. Moreover, most players would be anxious to play them in the regular season, let alone in the Super Bowl, since those guys were multiple-time champions.Â
During the 23 years leading up to Brady’s debut in late 2001, there were a total of 15 quarterbacks to lead their respective teams to a Super Bowl win, with just six of them winning more than once. Montana led the way (four titles) with the San Francisco 49ers in 1982, 1985, 1989 and 1990, tying a mark set by Bradshaw. He led the “Steel Curtain” teams of the 1970s to titles in 1975, 1976, 1979 and 1980.
These legendary players are held to a different standard regarding Super Bowl wins and their legacies since they were the only ones to do it four times.
Winning a championship as a quarterback takes skill and execution, as well as a good game plan. Throughout history, many players have tried, but only a few have lived out their dreams.
Despite playing during an era in which several teams laid claim to the throne, notable players like Roger Staubach, Joe Theismann, Jim McMahon, Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Steve Young, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and Trent Dilfer were all able to sneak in and get a win.
Although it takes an entire team to win a game, usually in football, the quarterback is the focal point of any attack, and his leadership is the reason behind a team’s success. Since the NFL has more parity today than decades ago, more players may get a chance at achieving success. However, only a few quarterbacks won while Brady was in the league.
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Winning multiple Super Bowls during Tom Brady Era was exclusive
During his second season, Brady led the Patriots to an improbable Super Bowl win in February 2002, which came down to Adam Vinatieri’s field goal in the dying seconds. Little did anyone know that Brady was just getting started. After the Patriots failed to defend their title the following season, Brad Johnson won the big game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. However, Brady would play in four of the next ten Super Bowls, winning two.Â
Interestingly, since Elway won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998, only three quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, and Eli Manning, have secured multiple wins in the Super Bowl. After Roethlisberger won in 2006 and 2009, the Manning brothers became the only players to get the best of Brady in consecutive decades.
First, the Patriots lost twice to Eli’s New York Giants (2008 and 2012) in the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Peyton’s Indianapolis Colts (2007) and Denver Broncos (2016) eliminated the Patriots in the playoffs en route to the title game.
Those three multi-time champions accumulated fewer rings (six) than Brady did (seven) in his entire career. However, it is a curious observation since the numbers highlight that only eight other quarterbacks have won a single ring since 2001, compared to the previous nine who achieved the same feat during the 23 years leading up to Tom Brady’s rookie campaign.
Since 2010, there have been seven one-and-done champions. That list includes Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford. The bulk of the names on this list have played a Brady-led team in the playoffs or Super Bowl and managed to cement their legacies by defeating the G.O.A.T.Â
Despite the league claiming parity is a thing, it is astonishing that fewer quarterbacks are achieving success today than 40 years ago. Yes, Brady is one of the main reasons fewer people had the chance for a ring since he’s won 30% of the Super Bowls since 2001 while participating in 43% of them.
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However, Brady has lost several times in his career, and those moments have paved the way for others to build their legacies. Yet, it is mesmerizing to break the numbers (again) and see how his success, and sometimes lack thereof, has had a resounding effect on the entire league.
There is no denying that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. Whether people love or hate him, his success on the field is unparalleled in football history.
Overall, now that he has ridden off into the sunset, it will be fascinating to revisit these statistics in 23 years to see if it was indeed Brady-led teams holding people back from claiming a Super Bowl ring.
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